A film of 2 halves. The first is a joyous lighthearted comedy with Benigni trying everything to woo Braschi. The second half takes a far more serious turn with a Benigni and Braschi (now married) and their young son (Cantarini) send to a concentration camp. Here he tries to protect his son from the horrors by pretending it's all a game, with a real tank going to the winner.
A difficult film to define. The first half is a complete joy, with lots of laughs - Benigni's scenes romancing Braschi are wonderful with various plot devices used to great effect including a scene when he tells her he needs a dry hat - hilarious. The second half though is tricky. Benigni manages to maintain a convincing balance between horror and humour, but there's no avoiding, in a world where Schindler's List and The Pianist exist, that the horror is largely played down.
It is though a film that leaves you smiling - just - and which reflects perfectly the message in the title of the film. The performances are outstanding with Benigni giving a standout comic turn - like Chaplain, only funnier, with impressive support from Braschi and Cantarini. Not altogether sure Benigni deserved the Oscar though against Hanks in Saving Private Ryan, as glorious though his performance is, you get the impression that this is what he's like in real life. Not to be missed though.
A difficult film to define. The first half is a complete joy, with lots of laughs - Benigni's scenes romancing Braschi are wonderful with various plot devices used to great effect including a scene when he tells her he needs a dry hat - hilarious. The second half though is tricky. Benigni manages to maintain a convincing balance between horror and humour, but there's no avoiding, in a world where Schindler's List and The Pianist exist, that the horror is largely played down.
It is though a film that leaves you smiling - just - and which reflects perfectly the message in the title of the film. The performances are outstanding with Benigni giving a standout comic turn - like Chaplain, only funnier, with impressive support from Braschi and Cantarini. Not altogether sure Benigni deserved the Oscar though against Hanks in Saving Private Ryan, as glorious though his performance is, you get the impression that this is what he's like in real life. Not to be missed though.